The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-02-24
QUEEN. A%NTOINETTE.

O41ka4 liz
Why She Was Not Buried In the
Far West.
Touch CASE, CAL, Sept. II.
DEAR NoRA-Your letter has reached
me ut last. which through mere care
lessness passed and repassed this new
home I've found in the West. So you
seem astonished that / should still find
my wild dream so much to my fancy
when once I have had full experiences
Of the good and the badP Well, Nora,
I'll tell you how twas that / came to
shun the worlds homage and bury my
name forever from sight.
After Charlie came home from his
hard life of study in Naples and Rome,
it seemed to me somehow that there
was a change in his manner toward me
perhaps it was strange that I noticed
at all his Indifferent way; but lovers
engaged-are quite apt to display more
pointed attention than he cared to show
(and we ,oere engaged then, dear Nora,
you know. and were to have married
that winter). His eyes would rove
from my features, and searching the
skies would seek out q star looking
most like the one he was wont to gaze
on when his studies were done-away
of in Italy! Then he would sigh as he
spoke of the azure that yaulted the sky,
and the long, perfect days compared to
which ours are grizzled and gray and
gloomy. The hours dragged duly
when he was beside mech, me! The
signs that I noticed were signs one
could see without the fond eyes of q
lover!
One day he came in as usual-simply
to pay his respects and to ask after me.
/ came down dressed in that stylish
gros grain morning gown (you remem-
Der / loaned you the pattern, my
childPC. He looked at me earnestly,
fondly. then smiled, and laying his
hand kindly on my blonde head-"Lit-
tie Toinette," he softly and tenderly
said, 81 came, dear, to ask a strange
question to-day and to tell you it's bet
ter that I go away-back to Rome and
to Naples. And, furthermore, dear"
.sStop, Charlie!" 1 cried, "not one
word viii I hear more than those you
have uttered! If you care to go, no
mere word. of mine-no yes or no
mo- will affect your plans in the
least-so, good-dayr And full OF
the bitterest anger away from his
presence I marched in my stateliest
tread and threw myself down on my
little white bed to sob out my grief.
Oh, the week that I passed! And
then how the terrible news came at
last that Charley had really sailed of
to Rome, and my aunt said: 1.-THE
goodness knows rhen he'll come
homer' and s.Such people never know
when they're well OFF, But 1 was toe
heart-sick and sorry to scoff at the only
kinswoman I have upon earth-for you
know that my dear mother died at my
birth, and papa o after-but just
moped about until the cold weather
had worn itself out, and spring came
once more.
Then one day / CHANGED to read in a
newspaper. through which I glanced
Ito take my thoughts off from myself
now out West a settlement was then
greatly distressed at want of a teacher
for their little ones-the miners them.
selves. and their daughters and sons
bounced on the paragraph, tookit tc
aunt, who said in her ewn dry, terse
way that "You shan't think of it, even
What, you, yon young child, go quito
q country SO savage and wild-where
bears and papooses and Indians row
by thousands through every dark sugar
tree grovei What, you, A~ntionette
with your pale angel-face-a rich heir
ess at that-teach a rough-living ract
for humanity's sakeP" and her Sevre.
cup trembled violently. OF course she
gave up-in due time-and, in the sof
April weather, my aunt and 1 came
away out West together-and we've
been here five months.
I wish you could see our little LOS
cabin beneath a pine tree, which tn
miners have fashioned as well as the,
could and walled it and trimmed j
with every known wood the forests o
old California could boast! And tn,
miners themselves! A regular hos
met us when aunt and 1 '.landed.'
There came from among them a wo
man, who gave us her name-"Nane,
Blizzers''-and welcomed us to thei
rude town, while the men stood abou
shame-faced, awkward and brown
big, tall sturdy giants afraid, dear
of me!
We went home with Nancy, VIII
made rs our teal call it that, dear
by the time of the day, though Their
wasn't a leaf from the realms of Catha,
within many odd miles!
The next day I went to the ..schoo
house. they'd made for me out of
tent, and l almost laughed, Nora Gan
almost cried, .too), when a big-fiste
man showed me what he could do, an
spelled '.baker'' proudly, correctly, an
said: 1--we got to two syllabub:
haven't /, now, NedP"
why, that's nice, I answered hin
touched in the heart / thought Charli
took with him.
.'I1l do my part, and before sun
mer's gone you'll be reading. tru'
me.'
s'Thunderr' said Ned, who was ia
as a tree and straight as IN arrow.
..Thunderp" said 1; "why, 1 see n
storm clouds at all in the sky, and or
must have lightning before thundt
sounds, and there's been no fash"
/ heard some n say BOUNDS, she
IN angel, boy-'war o yer blarste
loose tongue-ye know how'll kin blair
pheme when wonst it is brung ter tt
p'intgn And, Nora, though I've owe
heard blood-curdling language ar
many a word sworn once and agai